One More Page Books

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Driveway moment with the Smothers Brothers

It was what NPR calls "driveway moments." I got home, but stayed in the car to listen to the end of Terry Gross' interview with David Bianculli, author of Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."(yes, I want this book)

Publisher description: "A behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour -- the provocative, politically charged program that shocked the censors, outraged the White House, and forever changed the face of television."

"Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view...."

"...Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of comedy legends such as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s."